Thai filmmakers speak out against censorship

Published on Jun 1, 2013

There was public outcry in Thailand when a politically sensitive documentary was banned by the government.

The movie, "Boundary", tackles the deep political division within the country and the territorial dispute with neighboring Cambodia.

But the decision to ban it was overturned two days later, after the censorship board announced it had made a mistake.
The incident, however, still galvanized independent filmmakers.

Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa reports from Bangkok. 

Macbeth-based film banned in Thailand

Al Jazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/04/2012451615299366.html


Censors ban "Shakespeare Must Die" in apparent concern it could cause political divisions in the country.





In a politically divided nation, the government censors of Thailand have decided an adaptation of one of Shakespeare's plays was too much for the people of the country to handle.
'Shakespeare Must Die' is a Thai language adaptation of Macbeth, and while the censors have not clarified what the specific problems are, it seems the political imagery had caught their attention.
In the film, the grem reaper is dressed in red, the same colour as a political movement closely associated with Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister.
The main character, a dictator called Dear Leader, has been likened to Thaksin, whose sister Yingluck is the current prime minister.
Thailand has a long history of strict censorship on moral and political grounds, something budding film makers believe will only change with time.
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hays reports from Bangkok.